The next class will be on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 1 pm Eastern. To register, please use the button below.

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Mindfulness has been shown to be very helpful in dealing with chronic pain. It can’t necessarily make the pain go away, but it can change your relationship to pain in a way that can give you more freedom.

 

In this free online class we’ll spend the first half hour learning to cultivate self-compassion. Being able to support ourselves is fundamental to mindfully working with any physical or emotional difficulty. In the second half hour we’ll review the science of pain and talk about techniques like pendulation, enhancing curiosity to disarm the pain, and looking for tension both in the mind and body that contribute to pain. We'll also do the classic “ice-cube” meditation which allows you to try these techniques in a controlled setting. In the last half hour we’ll try using these approaches with discomfort that organically arises for you in meditation. Don’t worry, there will be breaks between each session!

 

It is important to have realistic expectations for a class like this. It is unlikely your pain will suddenly be controllable, and it usually takes time and practice for mindfulness to help with pain. However, this class will provide ideas about how you can mindfully work with pain so you can explore this further on your own. I offer this class freely simply because I have found these things to be very helpful, and I enjoy sharing this with others.

 

Please note that there is nothing in this class that takes the place of medical advice—it is simply a way to explore practices that you may find useful. Also, if you are dealing with a great deal of pain--or a very difficult emotional situation in your life--you may want to take this class at a later date. Sometimes trying to face into discomfort when it is not well-controlled can make you feel worse, so be your own inner guide about taking this. I will be offering classes like this as long as I can, and you are welcome to try it when you may be better able to benefit from it.

 

You are welcome to contact me if you have questions at jonwalker22@gmail.com. If you want to try the class, please review the waiver and register at this link or use the button below.